‘Occupy’ protests to arrive at London Stock Exchange

LONDON — Protests against corporate power that have taken hold in the United States are to hit Britain on Saturday with a rally in front of the London Stock Exchange, organisers revealed.

Occupy London Stock Exchange (OccupyLSX) plans to launch a “peaceful occupation” near the capital’s financial nerve centre, and its page on social networking site Facebook has attracted 3,500 confirmed attendees.

“This is a people-powered movement protesting against the increasing social and economic injustice in the UK,” OccupyLSX supporter Kai Wargalla explained on Wednesday.

“We want to stand with…the overwhelming majority who value people over profit. We want to make our voices heard against greed, corruption and for a democratic, just society,” she added.

The group will host workshops, assemblies and discussion groups during Saturday’s protest against the financial sector and its regulatory system.

OccupyLSX is backed by anti-austerity group UK Uncut, the London-based Assembly of the Spanish 15M movement and the People’s Assemblies Network Global Day of Action.

“The success of the square occupations across Spain in calling for democracy and an end to austerity, alongside the rapid growth of the Wall Street occupation, has shown that this is what is needed in London,” UK Uncut supporter Peter Hodgson said.

Thousands of anti-corporate demonstrators have been mounting protests in lower Manhattan, the New York area where Wall Street is located, for more than two weeks.

Demonstrations have now spread to other US cities, including the capital Washington.